Infinity Ward: All This Bobby Kotick Hate Is Ill-Founded

Activision CEO Bobby Kotick hasn't exactly endeared himself to gamers this past year, especially after scoffing at complaints that the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Prestige Edition was too expensive (it holds a $150 price tag).

And while he essentially had every right to scoff as you'll be hard pressed to find a GameStop that hasn't already sold out of their allocated Prestige Edition stock via pre-order, Kotick has continued to ruffle feathers. Most simply believe he's all about the money and couldn't possibly care less about those who are buying his products. However, according to a recent Gamasutra interview, Modern Warfare 2 developer Infinity Ward says we're all off base. IW lead animator Joel Emslie quite simply said that Kotick is "a great guy" and that he was never pushy or oppressive when it came to the team hitting deadlines. That's obviously not the point of the interview; Emslie talks about graphical engineering, photorealism, and differences between the original and sequel. Perhaps it's ridiculous to only focus on the very last line of the interview, but hey, it's the first time we've ever seen anyone give Kotick any sort of compliment, and maybe it's something gamers needed to hear. After all, we have to assume the guys at Infinity Ward know Kotick a bit better than we do...

It's just that, every time Kotick says something to the press, he seems to make some sort of statement that really gets on everyone's nerves. Maybe if he just stopped putting his foot in his mouth, his approval rating would be higher.

11/9/2009 10:20:37 AM Ben Dutka

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Comments (51 posts)

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laxpro2001
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 10:48:48 AM
Reply

It's actually nice to hear something like this. That also is good for consumers because it means less stress on development team for games meaning better quality.

1 up, 6 down

MaximusArcher
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 10:52:49 AM
Reply

He doesn't help himself out by endearing himself to his customer base.

2 up, 0 down

Nynja
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 10:55:26 AM
Reply

"Maybe if he just stopped putting his foot in his mouth, his approval rating would be higher."

That last line says it all. Good write up PSXE.

14 up, 0 down

chewy102
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 1:37:02 PM

No no he needs to keep that foot in his mouth. Maybe that way he'll finally shut the f*** up and go take a nap.

12 up, 0 down

Snaaaake
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 10:56:13 AM
Reply

Maybe just maybe Joel Emslie said that just to get some extra bonus from Bobby Kotick.

6 up, 0 down

Streets_74
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 10:56:19 AM
Reply

I don't buy it as much garrbage that comes out of this guys mouth, its hard to believe someone actually respects him. I think he payed someone to say that.

6 up, 1 down

Highlander
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 10:57:28 AM
Reply

So, we should all be convinced by someone who's talking about a person who is, more or less, their Boss? "Oh, yeah, my Boss is a great guy, he never acts unreasonably to us." Does anyone honestly expect them to say otherwise?

As for Activision, I personally, think that they have become too big for their boots, and are beginning to have delusions of Microsoft-hood.

21 up, 0 down

MyWorstNightmar
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 11:19:33 AM

Bingo, exactly what I was thinking. It is more of a non story, and really shouldn't change anyones oppinion either way.

The real story would have been if he would have said something negative.

7 up, 0 down

Alienange
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 2:13:42 PM

Oooo TheHighlander! That's what I was going to say.

Ben writes "we have to assume the guys at Infinity Ward know Kotick a bit better than we do."

I say "No, no they don't." We know Activision from the perspective of a customer. IW sees them from the perspective of a paycheck.

8 up, 0 down

Deadman
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 6:39:07 PM

I would say otherwise about my bosses and have to their faces.

2 up, 0 down

Darwin1967
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 11:04:06 AM
Reply

Every chance this guy gets he slams the PS3, which basically means he's slamming an entire consumer base, which is never smart. I WISH IW would move out on their own and stop sleeping on their momma's sofa. IW has soooo much potential, it's a shame they are leashed by the likes of Activision.

12 up, 0 down

Jawknee
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 11:06:31 AM
Reply

This coming from the company who bad mouths their colleagues?

*coughtreyarchcough*

err, actions speak louder then words and all of kotex's actions point to arrogance and jackassery.

15 up, 0 down

backatcha00
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 11:37:57 AM

jackassery, my new favorite word!

8 up, 0 down

Hezzron
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 2:26:18 PM

"Jackassery"....nice, I like it. I'm penciling that into my dictionary.

6 up, 0 down

Random_Steve
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 2:48:54 PM

but his actions you talk of are things he says, which are essentially words

0 up, 0 down

Alienange
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 2:52:30 PM

/pwnt

0 up, 0 down

Nynja
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 3:30:10 PM

lmao! "kotex's"

Isn't that a tampon brand or something? Suites him well ;)

1 up, 0 down

fluffer nutter
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 11:08:39 AM
Reply

Approval rating or not, this guy has said what he's said and that doesn't change a thing. You reap what you sew. Even a stopped clock tells the right time, twice a day.

7 up, 0 down

Snaaaake
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 11:13:50 AM
Reply

We all remember BK threaten to drop their support for Sony if they don't cut the price of the PS3, and Sony cut it in September and where is BK now?
BK must be hiding under his bed saying ,"they really cut it didn't they? Now I'm dead......so much for trying to get more publicity......"

1 up, 0 down

Kevadu
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 11:20:17 AM

Huh? Why would he be upset that Sony did what he wanted them to do?

1 up, 0 down

MyWorstNightmar
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 11:21:40 AM

Snake, Bobby wouldn't be hiding after a Sony price cut. If anything, he is gloating saying, "Look what I was able to make the big bad Sony do! I said they need to cut the price, and alakazam, look what I got them to do!" And then pats himself on the back.

7 up, 0 down

Snaaaake
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 11:28:18 AM

Lol, I didn't thought of that.
But isn't BK a bit too quiet after making such a serious statement.

0 up, 0 down

Highlander
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 11:37:51 AM

If BK had tried to gloat over the Sony Slim price cut, I think Sony would have found a quiet way of plowing him (and his little dog Toto too) into the ground.
The thing is that the PS3 slim and price cut were so widely predicted that virtually anyone with an ounce of common sense knew it was coming. So when BK sticks his nose into things, and makes an idle threat, it was already ringing kinda hollow.

As far as I am concerned BK is simply another annoying BK - just another annoying, big plastic man.

5 up, 0 down

Darwin1967
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 1:05:24 PM

He knew Sony was going to make the cut...so he goes off spoutin his B.S....tryin to make everyone think it was his threats that cornered Sony. What a bufoon and an even bigger one to think we ever have or will believe his rantings and ravings.

2 up, 0 down

Cavan
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 11:15:20 AM
Reply

well since IW make activision a bloody fortune, hes bound to be nice to them, but to us lot who are the customers, he thinks he can just shove the price up, all games are 39.99 english pounds, yet this game is gunner retail at 54.99, and he wanders why hes gets stick....

1 up, 0 down

Mornelithe
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 11:35:54 AM
Reply

To be honest, it doesn't matter who stands up in Kotick's defense. The pope could say he's a nice guy. Fact is, Kotick's own remarks, are what damn him. Not his IP, not his company, the things he does in the name of his company, and the things he says in the name of his company. It's in the same vein as Valve employee's, honestly. They open their mouths and out spews the most worthless ill-informed diatribe anyone could imagine. Kotick's a huge jerkoff, and will remain in that category for years to come, imo.

7 up, 0 down

coverton341
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 11:54:57 AM
Reply

Alright then, I will freely admit to not reading the gamasutra article so I am not sure exactly what he said but from this article I am taking it he said Kotick was a great guy because he doesn't pressure the devs to hit deadlines and doesn't act like a total ass about things that a CEO need not concern himself with and lets the programmers and artists and dev team in general do their thing because well, they are the devs.

I will say this right now; letting a development team do what they do best i.e. develop, does not under any circumstances mean that you are not a money grubbing jackass that cares not a bit for the people your product reaches, more so than not it means that you just want the people working under you to make a product the consumer will eat up so you can make a boatload of money off of their work and pay them a penance of what it is worth.

Kotick might be a stellar CEO and dole out bonuses for jobs well done to the people under him but that does not mean a whit to the consumer that he is raping and not batting an eye for.

4 up, 0 down

sabitrulz
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 12:24:24 PM
Reply

Bobby Kotick has a lodz of similaritys with macrosoft's kill gates......both r serious money lover....

1 up, 0 down

JackC8
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 12:35:10 PM
Reply

Did someone expect the developer to say something bad about their publisher? That would be a good career move lol. It's irrelevant anyway. The reason I can't stand Kotick is his very public statements about not supporting PS3 gamers because he's not making enough money off us (though obviously he's making some). Or that he'd make the games more expensive - if he could. And he apparently has. He's just an extremely unlikable person and I choose not to purchase games sold by his company.

2 up, 0 down

Scarecrow
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 1:11:15 PM
Reply

Kotick is garbage

1 up, 0 down

BattleFox21
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 1:19:09 PM
Reply

There is nothing anyone could say to make me change my mind about activision's top moron. I love IW & wish they would branch out on their own. This call of duty might be the very last activision product I buy & if not I'll by used.

1 up, 0 down

Imagi
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 1:22:23 PM
Reply

I found my hatred of Bobby Kotick on the basis of the tripe that has spouted out of his own mouth.

No much foundations stronger than that

If Activision and Bobby are so great to work with, I wonder why IW have felt the need to keep projects in the works a secret from them.

1 up, 0 down

frylock25
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 1:27:44 PM
Reply

this story does not change my mind. i still do not like where activision is going and untill they change their ways and i start hearing some positive attitude towards this great PlayNation i will not support that company.

EA changed their ways time for you to do the same activision

2 up, 0 down

frylock25
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 1:55:52 PM
Reply

the more i look at the title of this story the more it irritates me. this guy at IW must not have a damn clue why we hate this guy. i dont give a crap how he treats you at work. this is about the consumer. the people that pay BOTH OF YOU!

its not like we made this crap up, he said it him self. its not like we are taking his statements out of context. so no this hate is not ill-founded. this guy will do well to get his head out his ass just like kotex needs to.

7 up, 0 down

Oxvial
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 2:01:36 PM
Reply

That's going to be a letdown for those people that delude themselves with the ''Fuck Kotick I'm buying this for IW sake'' mentality .

1 up, 0 down

Alienange
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 2:16:23 PM
Reply

Anyone who paid $150 for the prestige MW2 is a sucker and a fool. When I get online I'm going to be asking who out there bought it and they'll be numero uno on my hit list.

8 up, 0 down

LowKey
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 2:36:49 PM
Reply

1 of 2 things. #1 IW is sucking up because of a new IP or #2 IW is trying to get those who are so pissed off at Activision to stop being so pissed so that they'll buy MW2.

6 up, 0 down

tes37
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 3:02:24 PM
Reply

Bobby Kotick owes Sony and PS3 owners an apology as far as I'm concerned. I'm avoiding Activision like the plague and dead serious about it.

6 up, 0 down

Nick Maim
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 3:51:29 PM
Reply

Kotex and Inflamed Warts are back-pedaling.

"Oh, the PS3 is selling like hot cakes now. oops.. hehe.. Here, here's a $ Million Five for a Veteran's Rehab Centre. See? We're nice people. See? We heart people. We heart ps3..

Now. You, you, you, and you. Fork over $150 for a 5 hour video game. The rest of you we'll take $80 and $70."

I have $70 in my wallet right now. Here's my allocation of that budget.

$5 - MW2 rental
$5 - delicious snacks
$60 - Bad Company 2, it's ok, I'll wait for it.

Using my wallet as a voting device.

8 up, 0 down

Oxvial
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 4:25:18 PM

I like the part about the $5 on snacks.

thump up for ya!

1 up, 0 down

frylock25
Tuesday, November 10, 2009 @ 12:44:17 AM

you should take that $5 for the MW2 rental and put it towards the preorder of bad company 2 and get the beta code for it instead

2 up, 0 down

LittleBigMidget
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 4:38:14 PM
Reply

He may think a different way once Heavy Rain comes out. Go back to making your shitty SM games Kotick (Though WOS was decent)

0 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 4:45:20 PM
Reply

In this case we are talking about IW, who are allowed unprecedented freedom in the making of the game, it's true that Kotex took a hands off approach because he knew that when it was done he could slap a monstrous price tag on it.

Unfortunately for IW, we aren't looking at him through the eyes of a dev company that has a publisher who will make them millions of dollars, we are looking at him through the eyes of a consumer and gamer who doesn't like to be dicked around with by a pompous ass. So no, our hate is not ill-founded. The foundations of our hate are strong.

5 up, 0 down

sabitrulz
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 9:45:38 PM
Reply

Bobby Kotick owes Sony and PS3 owners a serious apology and should come inform of an exclusive new ip

2 up, 0 down

Qubex
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 9:54:05 PM
Reply

In the end Bobby will always be Bobby... Not interested in what he says... interested in the quality of titles that produced by the studios Activision represents... and in the games I enjoy...

Q!

"i am home"

1 up, 0 down

just2skillf00l
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 11:36:28 PM
Reply

Well said Qubex, well said...but yeah Bobby needs to bite his tongue more often than not. If anyone in the video game industry is trying to make himself/herself look like a jerk, it is definitely Activision CEO Bobby Kotick. Get this now Bobby! Nobody wants to support a jerk! Stop being counterproductive! Modern warfare a previous GOTY champion...a great game! What a shame? Should I get the sequel...maybe when the price drops. That means I have no choice but to find it used.

0 up, 0 down

___________
Monday, November 09, 2009 @ 11:38:58 PM
Reply

after hearing all the sh*t he says im suppose to believe hes a "great guy?"
yea, you know what?
Lucifer is a great guy too once you get to know him ;)

4 up, 0 down

Oxvial
Tuesday, November 10, 2009 @ 6:43:08 AM
Reply

I was in a friend house 20 min ago...hahaha hes so disappointed with Modern Warfare 2 campaign beated in less than 5 hours .

now hes just playing multiplayer that its just an update of the first one.

1 up, 0 down

fluffer nutter
Tuesday, November 10, 2009 @ 1:39:44 PM

Five hours? Seriously? That's quite crap.

0 up, 0 down

Imagi
Friday, November 13, 2009 @ 1:38:36 AM
Reply

When gamers are complaining that games are too expensive in a few years time when they are all at the same price level as this MW2 game, I shall say

"Did you buy MW2 when it came out?"

If they say yes I will reply

"You can shut the Fook up" punch them in the face and take their money to help pay for all the extra cash I have been made to pay for my games, since they sent a message to publishers that gamers are O.K with spending huge sums of money for a single game.

0 up, 1 down

BikerSaint
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 @ 2:24:28 PM
Reply

Since Kotex has a stage-4 terminal case of hoof-and- Mouth disease, it doesn't matter back-pedals for him.

Rest In Pieces!

0 up, 0 down

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Infinity Ward: All This Bobby Kotick Hate Is Ill-Founded

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